WORLD CHAMPION
KELLY FISHER ELECTED TO BCA HALL OF FAME By Keith Loria
After narrowly missing election last year, England’s Kelly Fisher has earned induction into The Billiard Congress of America’s Hall of Fame as member of the class of 2020. The United States Billiard Media Association selected Fisher, arguably the most dominant woman player of the last 15 years, to its Greatest Players wing. “This means everything to me,” Fisher says. “We don’t have a Hall of Fame in the UK, and I remember when I first got to America learning about it and wondering if I ever one day had a chance. Bear in mind, I came from snooker and hadn’t done anything at that point, but it was definitely an ambition I had. This truly is a dream come true.” Born in West Yorkshire, England, the 41-year-old Fisher started in cue sports playing ladies professional snooker, much like fellow BCA Hall of Famers Allison Fisher (no relation) and Karen Corr. She excelled at the sport, capturing five world titles between 1998 and 2003. After her last win, Fisher headed to the U.S. to try her skill in the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour and didn’t miss a beat, quickly ascending to a Top 10 ranking. 38 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2020
“The ultimate key for me was doing well in snooker and being a world champion, so when I came to pool, I automatically had some confidence because the shot-making was relatively easy at that point,” she says. “I must say that the more you learn about pool, the shot-making becomes harder because you understand more about the reactions. When I first came, I didn’t have a clue about spins.” As she played more and studied the game, Fisher realized she was making some wrong choices, and her shot selection became more advanced. “The things I needed to adapt to, which were very difficult, were jumping and breaking,” Fisher says. “Jumping didn’t seem natural to me, and for breaking, in snooker, it’s a defensive break. Even still, I don’t feel like I’m the best jumper or breaker out there and I do feel I can improve on that a lot.” She remembers everyone was very friendly and welcoming when she first came to the U.S. “It was absolutely fantastic,” Fisher says. “I couldn’t have felt more welcome by all the players and the WPBA, it was a very warm feeling. I knew a lot of people before I arrived from the snooker
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I HOPE PEOPLE THINK OF ME AS A GREAT SPORTSWOMAN AND RESPECT ME FOR THAT.”
